Heel pad



Nov. 29, 1955 E. WICK 2,724,914

HEEL PAD Filed July 14, 1953 Edmund I. Vlfick INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent HEEL PAD Edmund L. Wick, Springfield, Ohio Application July 14, 1953, Serial No. 367,900

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-37) This invention relates to heel pads and more particularly to a heel pad for engagement in the heel end of a shoe or the like and having a porous, spongy, cushion secured to the heel pad.

It is an object of this invention to provide a flexible heel pad having a flexible cushion for engagement in the heel portion of a shoe to provide for the normal and free movement of the heel of a person wearing the shoe and heel pad. An air space is provided between the heel cushion of the heel pad and the side of the shoe to prevent moisture from forming as is the case when the entire full width or cushion area is used as a cushioned heel pad.

It is another object of this invention to provide for the cushions to spread when depressed, as in standing or walking, which permits a complete porous cushion in its entirety as the cushion is not fastened to the insole or the sides of the shoe.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a heel pad of this kind which may be made and assembled at a relatively low price and providing for the proper cushioning of a human heel of a foot within the heel portion of a shoe.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a heel pad constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of this invention.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral designates generally a flexible pad for engagement in the heel portion of a shoe within which the heel pad 10 is adapted to be engaged. The heel pad 10 is made of a soft, flexible material which is smooth on both sides thereof for engagement within the shoe and with the surface, as the skin surface, of the heel of a person wearing the heel pads. The heel pad 10 is preferably made of leather, as a calf-skin or kid, so that there will be no friction between the engaging surfaces of the heel pad and the wearer or between the heel pad and the shoe within which the heel pad is being used.

The heel pad 10 is U-shaped in configuration, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawing having an arcuate convex rear edge 11 and an arcuate concave front edge 12. The front edge 12 of the heel pad 10 is connected to the arcuate convex rear edge 11 by longitudinally arcuate side edges 14.

The extreme outer edges of the rear edge 11 and the rear end of the side edges 14 are inturned to provide an upwardly extending bead 15 for engaging the inner surface of the sides of a shoe with which the pad 10 is being worn. The upper surface of the bead 15 is inclined downwardly from the rear edge of the pad 10 to a point spaced rearwardly from the front edge 12 of the pad 10 as clearly shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings. The cushion 17 is adapted to be positioned adjacent the rear end of the pad 10 for engaging the lower surface of the heel of a person wearing the heel pad 10 in a shoe, not shown in the drawings, and is generally horseshoe-shaped in configuration having an arcuate rear side 18 and arcuate sides 19 extending forwardly from the rear end 18. The forward end of the sides 19 is spaced apart from the opposite sides so that a pocket 20 is formed between the arcuate sides 19 and the rear end 18 of the cushion 17. The upper surface of the rear wall 18 and the side walls 19 is inclined downwardly and inwardly as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings for smoothly engaging the lower and engaging surface of the heel of a person wearing the heel pad 10.

When the heel pad 10 is engaged with the heel of a person and the inside surface of the heel of the shoe, the head 15 of the shoe pad 10 will engage the inside surface of the shoe and thereby provide a space between the heel pad and the heel of the shoe. This space between the heel pad 10 and the heel of the shoe may be termed as an air vent 21 through which air is free to pass about the heel thereby permitting free air circulation even as the cushion 17 is depressed on the heel pad 10. The outer or rear end of the cushion 17 may be inclined forwardly and upwardly from the bottom fiat surface as clearly indicated by the numeral 22 in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings.

The lower flat surface of the cushion 17 is adapted to flatly engage the upper flat surface of the pad 10 and in one form of the invention, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the lower flat surface of the cushion 17 is inclined downwardly and forwardly as indicated by the numeral 23 of the drawings. In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the lower flat surface of the cushion 17 isdisposed in engagement with the pad 10 and is disposed parallel therewith. The heel pad 10 having the cushion 17 secured thereto provides a form fit for the individual heel of the wearer and the resiliency of the cushion 17 will take up for the normal type of restrictions which may be encountered between the heel of the wearer and the heel of the shoe and the cushion will comfortably yield to such restrictions both on the foot and in the shoe so that the horseshoe cushion is adjustable for variation in the size of the pad and can be narrowed in assembling the heel pad and cushion to eliminate the necessity of making numerous different sizes. When fatigue of the human foot sets into the human heel the cushion 17 will naturally conform to the variations in size of the human foot by spreading outwardly to become more flat as is the natural function of the human cushion on the heel of the person employing a flexible cushioned pad as the cushioned pad 10 described above.

While the specific details of one embodiment of this invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alteratios may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A device of the class described, comprising an elongated flat flexible heel pad shaped to fit within the heel of a shoe, the marginal edge of said heel pad at the rear edge thereof and a portion of the side of the pad being extended upwardly providing a flange at the rear 4 and sides of said heel pad, a horseshoe shaped cush- References Cited inthe file of this patent ion fitted against said flange, theouter edge of said cush- UNITED STATES PATENTS ion belng inclined inwardly-towards the upper surface 1 6 6 thereof away from said flange, providing an air vent 0 Schou 1926 between said cushion and shoe in which the pad is used, 5 2379366 Lumbard June 1945 and the upper surface of said cushion being beveled in- FOREIGN PATENTS wardly towards the inner edge of said cushion against 21,103 Great Britain July 12 1906 which surface the heel of a person using said pad rests. of 1905 

